(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a backlight assembly, a display device having the backlight assembly, and a method thereof, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a backlight assembly with an improved connection structure of a metal core printed circuit board (“PCB”), a display device having the backlight assembly, and a method of assembling the backlight assembly.
(b) Description of the Related Art
As semiconductor techniques are rapidly developed, demands for lightweight, compact display devices has increased.
Examples of the display devices include liquid crystal display (“LCD”) devices, plasma display panel (“PDP”) devices, and organic light emitting display (“OLED”) apparatuses.
Since such lightweight, compact display devices also display relatively clear images, these display devices have been gradually used as a substitute for a conventional cathode ray tube (“CRT”). Recently, these display devices have been used for display devices including TV sets, monitors, and mobile phones.
The LCD device cannot emit light by itself. The LCD device mainly includes an LCD panel and a backlight assembly for supplying light to the LCD panel. The backlight assembly includes a light source for emitting light. Examples of the light source include a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (“CCFL”) and an external electrode fluorescent lamp (“EEFL”). Recently, instead of such lamps, a light emitting diode (“LED”) has been used.
In general, LEDs are mounted on metal core printed circuit boards (“PCBs”). Conductive portions formed on the metal core PCBs are electrically connected to the LEDs to supply driving power thereto. In a backlight assembly using the LEDs, a plurality of the metal core PCBs are used. The metal core PCBs are connected to each other with connectors or cables.
When the metal core PCBs are connected to each other with cables, performing a connection process is time consuming, and interconnection is complicated, so that it is difficult to assemble the backlight assembly. In addition, rework for the backlight assembly is complicated, and, due to the connectors and cables, it is difficult to implement an entirely planarized light source.
Also, since the connectors and cables may deteriorate due to heat released from the light source, the performance of the backlight assembly is reduced. Furthermore, due to the connectors and cables, it is impossible to effectively use the light emitting from the light source.